New Years Call to Adventure

I’m sure you’ve heard a variation of the oft quoted statistics about new year’s resolutions, something like: “Less than 10% follow through.” Those statistics form a sort of collective pessimism that excuses us from success.  As it turns out they’re also BS.

According to a study by Dr. John Norcross from the University of Scranton, after two weeks 71% of people are still at and after six months nearly half, 46%, of have stuck to their guns. The study goes on to say that people who resolve to change at the New Year are 10 times more likely to succeed than folks that start at another time.

So what does that tell us? Now is the time: Adventure is calling, start today. If we dig a little deeper it also tells us that now is the most critical time. The first two weeks is critical to success, half of total failures happen by the second week of January.

Almost half of Americans make a new resolution. Not surprisingly 77% of those resolutions are weight control or self improvement related. Seven out of ten specifically named resolutions have to do with health improvement or being more adventurous.

“12% of new gym memberships come in January,”  according to Darren Beattie at Quora.com, “The second week of January is almost always the busiest of the year” representing about a 33% increase in volume. “80% of the New Year’s Resolutions crowd drops off by the second week of February [6 weeks]."

 “On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact." 

According to psychologist Philippa Lally, “On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact." So we know that it’s going to take two months to turn that resolution into a habit and that the most critical period it between weeks 2 and 6.

So we know that it’s going to take two months to turn that resolution into a habit and that the most critical period it between weeks 2 and 6.

“Timothy Pychyl, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Canada, says that resolutions are a form of "cultural procrastination," an effort to reinvent oneself. People make resolutions as a way of motivating themselves, he says. Pychyl argues that people aren't ready to change their habits, particularly bad habits, and that accounts for the high failure rate. Another reason, says Dr. Avya Sharma of the Canadian Obesity Network, is that people set unrealistic goals and expectations in their resolutions,” according to a Psychology Today article.

I believe it’s not as simple as all that. I think deep within the collective unconscious we recognize the yearend as a “return” and the New Year as a “call to adventure.” Think of that 2 week hump in your resolution to be your “refusing the call.” 

​Everyone knows that in every great adventure story the Hero refuses the call – far from being the end of the story that is where the really exciting stuff starts. This is the beginning of an awesome adventure.

How do we keep from failing? A really great article from the Mayo clinic outlines some steps to help us cross the threshold:
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1. Assess your fitness level
I recommend using a variation of Presidential Physical Fitness Test (PPFT). VIKINGfit likes to call it  Odin's Test and it consists of 1 min. Pushups, 1 min. Crunches, 1 mile Run and max Pull Ups. It is extremely easy to proctor using the timing function on your phone and requires no equipment other than a Pull Up Bar. Download the score sheet for free --->.

2. Design your fitness program

• Consider your fitness goals.  Set a very specific (S.M.A.R.T.) goal. “I wanna get fit” doesn’t cut it. I recommend registering for a race event – could be a Warrior Dash or a Marathon – as your goal because it establishes the What, How and When of your goal and puts your money where your mouth is. VIKINGfit does not use weight loss as a goal because it is too nebulous. Choose another goal, any goal, and you will loose weight and become more fit while #RAIDing with VIKINGfit. Guaranteed. 
• Create a balanced routine. Balance means Nutrition, Endurance and Strength. Check out the Valknut, these three things are inseparable and the system fails without any one. Anyone telling you otherwise is full of crap.
• Start low and progress slowly. The good news, is depending on your fitness level, you can see 400% improvement within 4 weeks.
• Build activity into your daily routine. 
• Plan to include different activities. 
• Allow time for recovery.  Plan on two rest days per week. Don’t plan a rest day for Friday or Monday because you’re more likely to cheat over the weekend and you don’t want 3 rest days in a row.
• Put it on paper. 

3. Assemble your equipment 
With VIKINGfit all you need is the heart of a Hero…and a Hammer.

4. Get started
Subscribe to our Newsletter and receive your free beginners guide.

• Start slowly and build up gradually. 
• Break things up if you have to. 
• Be creative. 
• Listen to your body. 
• Be flexible. 

5. Monitor your progress

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​#Adventure is calling, answer. Get your #newyears #resolution on track with VIKINGfit. #new year new #health  @ www.wanderlost.today